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(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet l P. H. RICHARDS.

BLANK FEEDING MEGHANISM. No. 331,443. Patented Dec. 1, 1885.

N. PETERS, Pnowuuw mr. Waihinginn. uc.

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 H. RICHARDS.

BLANK FEEDING MEGHANISM. No. 331,443. Patented Dec. 1, 1885.

N. PETERS. Phulc-Ulhagmphcr, Washington D.c

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 P. H. RICHARDS. BLANK FEEDING MEOHANISM.

No. 331,443. Patented Dec. 1, 1885.

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FRANCIS H. RICHARDS, OF SPRINGFIELD, MASS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO THE PRATT & \(VHITNEY COMPANY, OF HARTFORD, CONN.

BLANK-=FEEDING MECHANlSll/l.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 331, M3, dated December 1, 1885.

Application filed October 16, 1884. Serial No. 145,663. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRANCIS H. RICHARDS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Springfield, in the county of Hampden, State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Blank-Feeding Mechanisms, of which the following is aspecification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof, in

which-- Figure 1 is a plan View of a mechanism embodying my improvement, the front side of the mechanism being at, the bottom of the figure. Fig. 2 is a similar view of the same,

1 partially in section. Fig. 3 is a front eleva tion of the same, except the rear columns, together with certain parts of an envelopemachine shown above it. Figs. 4 and 5 show some of the said parts in different positions.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged front elevation, partially in section. Fig. 7 is a plan view of a part of Fig. 6.

Similarreference-characters refer to similar parts throughout all the views.

This invention relates to that class of blankfeeding mechanisms which are used for feeding blanks of paper previously cut to the required shape to machines for making said blanks into envelopes, boxes, or other articles, as the case may be.

The object of my invention is to furnish an improved mechanism whereby the feeding of the blanks may be carried on continuously Without being interrupted by the operation of replenishing the pile of blanks. This object I have heretofore attained by means of certain improvements described and claimed by me in United States Patent No. 284,483, but I now attain the same object in a more 0 convenient way by means of the improvements which I will herein first describe in connection with the drawings, and afterward specifically point out in the claims.

In the drawings, 0 is a part of a machine frame, and A is the base of the feeding mechanism supported thereon. This base has four columns, A, rising therefrom, arranged as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, those on the front side being farthest apart. Each of these columns has on its inner side two channels, J, and each tends from the upper surface of frame O, or

from some other fixed point, up to the under surface of cap A, so that it cannot have any vertical movement. This rack is shown at A and A being the front one of each pair. The other racks, A and A, being the back one of each pair, are made somewhat shorter, so they may have a vertically reciprocating. motion slightly in excess of the length of one rack-tooth. This vertical motion is imparted to these racks A and A by means of arms T, fixed on rock-shafts T, which shafts are oscillated by means of rod R,acting through lever R, lever R rod R, and lever R The ends of arms T fit closely into notches in racks A and A (see A, Fig. 6;) but in the racks A and Adthese notches are so long vertically that these racks do notrestrict the movement of said arms. (See A Fig. 6.)

The construction of the above mechanism is such that all of the vertieally-movable racks are moved in the same time and direction through equal distances. The racks at their upper ends are movable laterally independ- 8 ently of each other.

It is the function of the front racks to hold up and of the back racks to lift step by step the blank-supporting plates P and P, which plates are of similar construction, but vary o somewhat in size, (see Fig. 1,) so that the forward pair of racks in each column operate to feed up one plate, 1?, and the back pair to feed up plate P These plates are beveled where they rest on the racks, as at P" in Fig. 5 6, and the rackteeth are inclined, (see at M, Fig. 6,) so their weight will tend to hold the plates rearward against the front column at A, Figs. 1 and 2.

WVhen the form of the blank requires it, I00

arms, as V, may extend from the plates outside of the front columns,and rearward under the projecting ends of the blanks, as in Figs. 1 and 2. This form of plate is best for supporting envelope-blanks, (the kind shown in the drawings,) because it permits the use of the fixed guides B, Figs. 1 and 2, usually employed for holding the pile of blanks B from lateral movement. The front pair of these guides are secured to the caps A", and extend downward but little farther than the rack-teeth. The back pair extend preferably down to the base A. A vertical lifterslide, L, having a top plate, 1?, is located between columns A and furnished with some device (not shown) whereby it may be slid up and down by the operator, as hereinafter described. The mode of using this lifter and the blank-supporting plates is as follows:

When a pile of blanks is to be placed in the machine, slide L is dropped until I is in its lowest position. (Indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 6.) One of the blank-supporting plates is then properly placed on that top plate and the blanks placed on their plate and pushed back against the back guides. Slide L is now raised until the plate thereon is caught between and held up by the teeth of the racks, as at P, Fig. 6. The slide L is now lowered to its former position, the other blank-supporting plate placed thereon, and another pile fed up, as before. During this time, if the machine has been running, the first pile will have been fed up to the position W, Fig. 3, making room below it between the rack-teeth for pile Y to be fed up against it. When this has been done,the plate under the first pile is withdrawn and used as before for feeding a third pile up to the second one, and thus the feeding of the piles of blanks is made continuous without interrupting the operation of the machine.

The operation of the racks and their rockshaft or other equivalent driving mechanism to lift the plates P and P will be readily understood from the drawings and preceding description. The object of this mechanism being to transmit a reciprocating motion from rod 15 to the rack, it is obvious that any other mechanism which will do the same thing will be an equivalent for it in this place.

Referring now to Figs. 3, 4, and 5, H is a slide carrying an ordinary blank picker, which is shown in its middle position at P, in its lower position on the blank-pile at P and in its upper gunrreceiving position at P This slide 11,- with its picker 1, corresponds with picker a in the aforesaid patent. The line B represents a single blank as it is when lifted up by the picker. Parts 16, 9, 10, 11, 12, 7, and 8, constituting a latchand-lever mechanism, correspond substantially, both in their construction and operation to the same parts in said patent, to which reference may be had for a particular description of thesame. By referring thereto it will be seen that the object of this mechanism is for controlling the action of said mechanism for elevating the pile of blanks by the varying movements of said gummers (pickers) as they pick up the blanks and reduce the height of the blankpile. These controlling devices, as shown in that patent, act to elevate the blank supporting plate by turning a set of verticalelevating screws, while in my present invention they operate the vertically-elevating rack-rods R and the rock-shaft mechanism for the same purpose. WVhen slide H, passing downward, carries arm 16 by latch 9 (see Fig. 4) so far as to allow the ends of said latch to snap past it, as at Z, Fig. 3, said slide will, on its return upward, when the position in Fig. 3 is reached, cause an oscillating movement of lever 7 in the direction of arrow J in Fig. 4. This upward motion continuing brings the said arm 16 to position X, Fig. 3, allowing lever 7 to return to its normal position, (shown in Figs. 4 and 5,) when said latch slips by arm 16 and falls against stop 12, ready for the next operation. If the pile of blanks is so high as to stop the descending slide H before arm 16 reaches said position Z, it is obvious no motion will then be imparted thereby to lever 7, and

consequently the said pile will not be fed up. The picker will then continue to take up blanks one at a time from the pile until it can descend sufficiently low to bring said arm to said position, when it will again feed up the pile as before. The frequency with which this feeding will occur depends, obviously, upon the speed of the machine and the relation existing between the height of a racktooth and the thickness of one blank.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- 1. A frame-work and a series of columns supported thereon, of which each one is adapted to receive and hold in place apair of racks, a pair of racks to each column held in place thereby, a blank-supporting plate fed up by Y said racks, and a reciprocating mechanism, substantially as described, for operating said racks to feed up said plate, all combined and operating substantially as set forth.

2. A frame-work and a series of columns supported thereon, of which columns each one receives and holds in place two pairs of racks, two pairs of racks to each column, of which two pairs one pair in each column acts upon one blank-supporting plate and the other pair upon another plate, the two blanlesiipporting plates, and a reciprocating mechanism, substantially as described, for operating said racks up to said plates, all combined and operating substantially as set forth.

3. In combination, a suitable column, as A, rack A, rack A spring D, cap-A, arm T, and shaft T, substantially as described.

4. In combination, a series of racks, as A], having teeth inclined, as at M, Fig. 6, and a blank-supporting plate, as P, fitted thereto, substantially as and for the purpose described.

5. A series of racks supported and operating substantially as described, a blanksupporting plate, as P, and plate-lifter L, all combined substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

6. A series of columns having a series of racks, substantially as described, the rockshaft mechanism for operating said racks, slide H, having picker P and arm 16, a latel1- and lever mechanism, substantially as described, and a connecting rod or part between [0 said latch-andlever and said rock-shaft mechanisms, all combined and operating substantially as set forth.

FRANCIS H. RICHARDS.

Witnesses:

H. W. FAULKNER, O. 0. PALMER. 

